A Mumbai-based start-up has developed an aqueous-based CO2 capture technology with a new catalyst. This technology can capture CO2 in industrial wastewater, marking a significant milestone in the country’s transition towards climate-friendly technologies.
The innovation emerged from research work at the National Centre of Excellence in Carbon Capture and Utilization (NCoE-CCU) at IIT Bombay. The Technology Business Incubator (TBI) of IIT Bombay (Society For Innovation & Entrepreneurship – SINE) nurtured UrjanovaC, which was fuelled by a vision to revolutionise clean energy solutions, says a press release.
UrjanovaC’s technology can capture CO2 from both industrial flue gas and ambient air in the presence of water, which can be industrial wastewater or even seawater. It relies upon earth-abundant elements along with non-potable water for a sustainable carbon management process implementable for multi-billion-tonne CO2 removal. The captured CO2 can be subsequently converted to high-value minerals while the catalyst gets recycled. It will ensure the efficient capture of CO2 to permanently fix them as stable mineral carbonates, thereby providing a sustainable CCUS technology.
The system developed by the start-up, which has been founded by IIT Bombay faculty members, Prof Vikram Vishal and Prof Arnab Datta, can be widely employed in the energy sector of the upcoming smart cities to lay the blueprint for carbon footprint-free power generation and provide solutions for reducing CO2, a major greenhouse gas. It is an environment-friendly solution that can also reduce slag and waste in industries like steel, cement and chemicals.
The patented technology, which is at TRL 5, will significantly help industries to minimise their carbon footprint without compromising their production capacities.
